


We love the things we love for what they are

by Mimilou96



Category: Little Mix, One Direction, The X-factor, radio 1
Genre: Accidental Bonding, Alpha Louis, Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Anal Fingering, Anal Sex, Angst, Band Fic, Best Friends, Blow Job, Cuddling, Cute, Defect Alpha mechanism, F/F, F/M, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, Hair-pulling, Knotting, M/M, Marking, Mpreg, Mpreg Harry, Omega Harry, Overprotective Louis, Pain Kink, Scent Kink, Scent Marking, Sex, Size Kink, The X Factor Era, They meet in the toilets, X-Factor, audition, courting, larry - Freeform, larry stylinson - Freeform, mentioned infertility, non-au, one direction - Freeform, zerrie
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-07-17
Updated: 2014-07-23
Packaged: 2018-02-09 06:44:00
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 7,559
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1972821
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mimilou96/pseuds/Mimilou96
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Where alpha Louis and omega Harry meet in the toilets at X-Factor just to get thrown together in a band later and maybe it's a sign, even if everything is not what it seems like.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The first glance

**Author's Note:**

> Hey! This story takes place in the X-factor era, is A/B/O and mostly non-AU :) I hope you like this (it's a new try at writing :D).  
> If you do please leave me happy points (aka kudos!) or a comment :)
> 
> The title is a quote by Robert Frost
> 
> Thank you for reading!
> 
> Oh and before I forget it:
> 
> A BIG FAT THANK YOU TO CLARA FOR BEING MY BETA :*

It was an early and crispy morning in July, the sun still hiding behind the big fluffy clouds but peeking through them every so often and sending rays of warmth and the promise of a nice day right through the big windows of the Manchester Central entrance hall. Louis was standing in the big crowd that had gathered there. The whole hall was full of people, noises and smells and he was right in the middle of it all, almost swimming in the crowd and trying to not get sweeped away by bypassing strangers.

His mum was standing a few feet away from him, sipping tea from a portable thermos cup. Since they had arrived she hadn't said much, looking around and trying to figure out the system of the big event, like she (as the mum of a bunch of kids, always concerned and trying to keep everything running) always did, but now her familiar voice reached Louis' ears:"Louis? Louis! Honey, go and fill out the form and get yourself a number. Don't be lazy! I don't want to stay here for days!"

Louis rolled his eyes at his mums words, that were almost yelled at him because of the chatter around them. They, like hundreds hopeful others with their familys and friends, had only just stepped through the big glass doors that were the entrance to the building and he would have loved to play for a bit more time by chatting nonsense with the others contestants, trying to forget the stress and excitement by meeting new people, but since his mum was already raising an eyebrow at him and pointing to the registration he had no choice.

"Yeah, yeah. Ok! Gonna go now." he responded defeated, standing no chance against his mum, and then quickly turned back around to the blonde beta girl with the guitar, he had been chatting with. He still hadn't learned her name because they had only just met after Louis, not 2 minutes ago, had stumbled and nearly trampled her to death. He had apologized profusely and they had started a nervous chat, both very excited for what was coming.

Excited like everyone in the building seemed to be, the air buzzing with energy because this was the X-Factor they were trying out for and even though Louis didn't dare to get his hopes up, he thought about how exciting it would be if he would get through the auditions. People were actually going to see this, see him fail or, if he was lucky, getting through.

"Go big or go home" he had said to himself to find the motivation to leave his bed this morning. It hadn't helped to calm down his nerves though, when he had climbed into his mums small car his hands and legs had already been trembling a bit. Though it was nothing compared to the nervous feeling he got in the pit of his stomach now, a few hours later. The nerves crawling through his veins like ants and the weird energy of the room making it worse.

"Sorry, love! Have to go. See you later?" The guitar girl nodded, smiled and hugged him while they said goodbye and wished eachother luck quickly. Louis left her and his mum behind and walked the few steps to the long row of tables where the helpers and security checked the data of the, already long, line of contestants and pinned a stupid looking sticker with the X-Factor logo and a long number to their chests.

He had to wait quite a few minutes, legs twitching nervously and impatiently but then he finally faced a friendly looking beta who asked for his full name and ID. "Louis William Tomlinson" he answered quickly and handed her the plasticcard he had almost forgotten at home this morning, but had remembered to get exactly the second his mum had started the car, causing her to sigh and stop the engine so that Louis could run back into the house.

The beta took it and didn't even look at it but handed it to the bulky security man, obviously an alpha, behind her who apparently checked the genuineness of the document and then eyed him as if to read his criminal history and danger potential right out of his blue eyes and cinnamon-brown hair. Louis was tempted to pull a face or give him a crazy smile, but the girl meanwhile had gotten a cheap clipboard with the attendance form clipped to it and an even cheaper looking blue pen from the big boxes under the table and was handing them to him. "Fill out all fields and then give it back." She said, already attending to the next contestant in the line.

The blue-eyed boy took both, pen and form, and moved to the side. He then started to scan over the questions and information asked from him. The first ones were no problem. His name, date of birth, adress, phone number, emergency contact, song and music choice were scribbled down quickly and easily, but then Louis came across the question he had started to hate, rightout despise, since he had turned 18 last year - his gender.

He wrote down "male" and then stopped, fingers laying still on the plastic of the pen. He knew what he was supposed to add now, but he really really didn't want to. There was no way out of it, though. He had to add it.

The parents of every kid born into this world knew the full gender of their little ones hours after they were born, thanks to a DNA test that was done immediately. It was obligatory and an everyday-routine, it was impossible to not know your gender in the civilised parts of the world. Also because you normally could not only smell but actually recognize the gender of everyone by looking at them once they were grown up, most times it could already be seen when the kids where still in the womb. The alphas and their sexual organs most times much bigger than the betas and omegas. The kids were then brought up according to their gender and social status and teached all they needed to know to full-fill their role in the world of the three genders in school and by their parents, what automatically made them look and act even more according to their "second" gender. The posture and behaviour of each groups slightly varied even though everyone was equal and rights ensured peace, freedom and safety.

Louis had turned out to be an alpha, even though the doctors had said that on every ultrasound pics he had looked like a perfect little omega.

Louis sighed quietly to himself.

He had always been small. A pathetic excuse for an alpha.

His character though was fitting, being brought up as an alpha he technically was allowed to be witty and mouthy all he wanted, which had always been exactly his temper. But normally and technically he would also have already smelled like an alpha and been pubescent, but that was the thing: he wasn't.

He still smelled mostly neutral, almost like a beta or a child, and no rut or knot had ever made an appearance. Adding to that were also his small and unusual curvy body and high-pitched voice. To sum it up: Louis felt more and more like crying and tearing out his hair with every day that passed without a change.

It wasn't that it was that important, in normal life he was mostly seen and accepted as a beta, which was fine. Noone ever questioned him when he didn't act too much like an alpha. But if he did, which he had quickly learned to avoid after offending some alphas and slightly grossing out omegas by trying to court them, he got people staring at him. It turned out to be the biggest of all problems.

Courting and dominating were for alphas and he more or less saw himself and was seen as a beta now.

He would probably never bond and breed an omega! Would never be ok with going and asking an omega out, even if his inner wolf growled at him more and more often, wanting to court and claim and breed.

But betas only got to seriously be together with other betas, only slight flirting and in few cases a date or one night stand with an omega was possible. But that was only for the unorthodox and frowned up on, as he was told.

And the doctors his mum had dragged him to a month after his 18. birthday because his first rut hadn't happened to him between age 14 and 18, like it was usual, had clearly hinted it: He was odd and most likely infertile.

Every alpha and omega should have had their first rut or heat at that point, and everyone had. But Louis still hadn't had his yet and his whole appearance mostly opposed what was considered the typical alpha. They had given him a few more months and some meds, not right out saying that he was infertile, but instead declaring it could be a delay due to stress or a genetic unusualness.

But still nothing had happened in the months following and Louis had by now kind of given up on it.

Though in situations like this he always was remembered that he was defect.

He huffed out an angry little sigh and practically smeared down the word "alpha" into the gender field, it was written down on every document about him anyway so he had no chance trying to hide it. He also signed his name to agree to everything that would be expected from him and the conditions of the show quickly and then handed back the form.

"Ah! Finished?"

The beta asked and Louis only nodded.

"Great, here you go. Have fun!"

She said cheerfully and he got a number taped to his t-shirt and his ID back. Then he practically fleed the scene, in fear that the girl or the bulky alpha could look closer at his gender and would wonder about his (nonexistent) smell or his appearance.

His mum welcomed him back with a small smile, phone at her ear and apparently talking to one of his many sisters.

They moved out of the big crowd and into one of the smaller and more quiet hallways that lead to the audience room.

"No, Lottie! You have to press the button on the right, the orange one." Louis rolled his eyes and mouthed "washing machine?" at his mum. Jay nodded and pulled an irritated face at the next answer.

"Where is your dad? Get him to do it."

She started to walk up and down, her shoes making "click-clack" noises on the hard beton, while arguing back and forth with her eldest daughter.

While that Louis sighed, leaned against the closest wall and started reading the time table that was hanging out there, seeing that his audition would take place in one and a half hour.

His mum finally ended the call after a few more minutes, rolled her eyes and smiled at her son.

"I swear, without me you would all suffocate in your own dirt and die!"

She took his elbow and started to walk them towards the studio briskly.

"Now come on! Let's watch a few of the other auditions. You still have time, right?"

"Yep." The blue-eyed boy answered, popping the p.

"Mine is in one and a half hour."

"Good. Come on, then! I don't want to sit on the side, those are the worst seats! No way, I'll sit there."

She urged him.

Louis smiled and let himself be dragged along, knowing not to stop his mum when she had a mission. After testing 3 different sets of seats ("too far on the right!", "too far on the left!", "what the hell is the pillar doing right in front of us, Louis!?") they chose 2 seats right in the middle of the studio and got comfortable, the first contestants already entering and leaving the stage.

His nerves grew even more after actively watching the first few performances and he pulled out the sheet of paper with the lyrics to the song "Hey there delilah" by "The Plain White Ts" that he had chosen to sing and went over them again and again.

He barely listened to the next singers entering the stage, but they all sounded good. A few even sounded really really really good! "How the hell will I make it through?" He asked himself more than a few times.

"Relax!" He told himself at the same time. It would be fine, he would do it for fun and drive home with a new experience. No need to feel pressure or disappointment!

He then put the lyrics away, sat up straight in his plastic chair next to his mum, who was enjoying the music and clapping along with the other people in the audience, and focused on the singers.

He watched a girl singing a weird sounding version of a gospel song he had never heard before (and the judges apparently also hadn't, giving the girl advice on song choices and asking her to come back next year after more practise) and a boy who smashed "Let Me Love You" and got standing ovations from the audience.

The nerves came back then and made themselves a home in his stomach. His mum shot him a worried glance after registrating his nervous twitching and asked: "You ok, Lou?" The boy smiled weakly and waved his hand in front of his face. "Yeah, just nervous I guess." he said, straining to get the message across through the noisy surroundings. His mum nodded, padded him on the shoulder and handed him a filled thermos cup of tea which the blue-eyed accepted gratefully.

A boy entered the stage next, smelling beautifully like apples and sweets. The smell reaching Louis even though he was sat in the far back. An omega. Louis startled after realising that he had noticed that before even seeing the boy.

At that he again felt a twinge in his guts and the anger rise inside himself.

He repressed the urge to get up and leave and forced himself to keep his eyes focused on the stage which promptly made him catch a first look of the omega.

He was wearing a white shirt, a grey cardigan and a scarf around his neck and was obviously one of the younger contestants.

"Hello, 'm Harry Styles." the boy introduced himself at request and then started to bicker with the judges who asked him all kind of questions.

Louis leaned back, closed his eyes and just listened. A ton of alphas in the audience were probably already salivating and imagining to pin Harry down after watching the first adorable interactions of the young omega with the beta and alpha judges. It was their nature to do so and he didn't want to be one of them, even though his inner alpha growled at the submissive, cute and a tad bit mouthy omega, wanting to take and bond-bite the boy.

But Louis had been raised and teached to ignore the natural urge and act politely and normal. It wasn't his place to just bite a neck and take someone back into his "cave", he had been told in school.

"Always think about the consequences!" his mum had said to him during that awkward talk about his second gender and what would happen in puberty at age 14.

If he should ever truly feel the urge to claim, which wasn't unusal for a young and hormonal driven alpha, she had told him to be nice, to get to know them and to start to court. If they got along and both agreed on the bond, then he could knot and bite them during their next heat and make them his mate.

Louis blushed and ducked his head down at the thought.

He would probably never ever knot someone and no knot meant no bond, which meant no mate, but still his cock twitched at the idea of knotting someone.

The boy on stage meanwhile had started to sing "Isn't She Lovely" by Stevie Wonder which distracted him from his dirty thoughts but caused him to get goosebumps all over instead. The boy had a lovely deep voice and seemed to be very talented. The judges apparently agreed. They send him off stage smiling after Nicole and Simon had said "yes" and therefor were sending him straight off to bootcamp which would take place a few weeks later.

Exactly what Louis secretly wished for for himself.

He downed the last drops of his tea and watched another five contestants, before his bladder started to feel full. He checked the time on his phone -It was still 20 minutes before he was expected to be backstage - and decided to go seek the toilets.

"Mum? I'm off to the toilets. Will be back in five."

His mum plugged the cup from his hands to put it back onto the thermos and nooded.

"Be quick, yeah? It's your turn soon. Don't want you to be late!"

Louis kissed her on the cheek quickly and promised to hurry.

Then he got up and left the audience to find the toilets. He wandered around, but the doors and hallways all looked the same and he couldn't make out a sign, so he asked a friendly but incredible bored looking security man, a beta this time, who helped him to finally find the mens restroom.

"Ah, there it is. Thanks for the help." he said with a thankful smile directed at the man.

The security man just nodded and grumpled something that sounded like "no problem, boy" before turning around and leaving.

Louis, whos bladder felt burstingly full, pressed down the doorhandle and opened the door rather enthusistically. He stepped inside and promptly crashed into yet another person, the second today.

"Oops. Oh god. Sorry, sorry. My fault. You ok?"

The boy that had stumpled forwards from the force of their bodies colliding turned around, straightened his slightly off-centre clothes and send Louis a suprisingly genuine looking smile for someone who just got rammed and tripped by a clumsy stranger.

"Hi. Yeah, I'm fine. You?"

Louis blinked for a moment, shocked after recognizing the outfit and the curls, full bladder completely forgotten for the moment.

"Sure, yep. Everything still where it should be."

He joked, mouth running faster than his brain.

"Thank god."

The curly-haired boy answered and let out a laugh, but covered his mouth quickly to muffle the sound.

He then extended his hand, still grinning.

"'M Harry."

Louis grinned back and took Harrys warm and suprisingly big hand in his own to shake it. The smell of the young omega even more potent this close and the feeling of the soft skin on his own making him feel slightly faint.

"I know, saw you on stage! You were brill!" Louis found himself saying, cringing inwardly at this stalkerish statement.

But Harrys smile deepened and to Louis utter fascinacion two dimples and a lovely blush made an appearance.

"Really? Thank you. I was so nervous! You sure you didn't watch someone else?" the omega, whos intoxicating smell was slowly filling all of Louis senses, said while blushing even more.

"Yep. It was 100% you, would recognize those crazy curls everywhere. You'll be a star, Harold. I'm sure of it!"

Louis teased with a lazy grin and lightly pulled at the scarf around the young boys neck.

For some reason he didn't feel overwhelmed anymore but instead safe and comfortable, the smell and easy bantering making him really enjoy the conversation. Harry seemed to be a fun person, just how he liked his friends, and so Louis made it his mission to make him blush and smile more.

Harry snorted and opened his mouth, but Louis was faster and added a rushed: "My name is Louis, by the way."

Desperately wanting to be remembered by the boy.

Harry closed his mouth and then opened it again to chuckle and say:

"Nice name. But I have to tell you: I'm not named Harold. It's just Harry. Harry Styles."

Louis raised one eyebrow cheekily.

"Sorry, but Harold is it for me. A proper name for a popstar!"

The boy blushed even more, his cheeks adoreably colouring in a manner that could only described to be typically omegan.

He bickered back, nevertheless, what pleased and amazed Louis immensely.

"Well, Lewis! Guess I'll have to give you an autograph then!"

He pulled out a pen and challengingly gestured to Louis' arm, covered by the cream coloured cardigan, that was awfully similar to the grey one Harry was wearing.

Louis played along and pulled up the fabric.

"It would be an absolute pleasure!" He sqealed like a hysterical teenage girl, making Harry giggle.

The boy grabbed Louis arm, the feeling of skin on skin making Louis shiver slightly, and then hesitated. He blinked and looked at Louis questioning, but Louis stayed still and didn't pull away his arm, so Harry grinned and scribbled down his full name on Louis forearm, pen cold and scratching against the tanned skin.

"Ta! Look how beautiful that looks. Can I add a heart or a butterfly?" He giggled in delight after pulling back and admiring his work, a genuine smile covering his face, dimples on full display. But Louis snatched back his arm and tried to look appalled even though his inner alpha was practically purring at being marked by an omega.

"Harold! I'm not a teenage girl! I'm a man!"

Harry laughed but put the pen back into his pocket.

"Alright! Alright! Just joking."

Louis grinned at him and then looked down at his arm, now covered with the swirly handwriting of the omega.

"Your handwriting is girly enough to make up for it anyway!"

He pulled his best disgruntled face and frowned at the omega.

Harry let out one of his loud laughs again.

"Mean!" he called out, so loudly that it echoed in the empty bathroom.

They both winced.

"Oops" Harry whispered then, so adorably cute that Louis felt the strong urge to kidnap and keep him.

But before Louis could think or act further on it (aka asking the boy to add his number to his name) the door suddenly swung open and revealed a bunch of young betas and alphas who stepped around them to use the urinals while chatting loudly, oozing dominance and the power of a group.

Louis eyed them warily, all his instincts telling him to protect, and unconsciously stepped a bit in front of the young boy.

But Harry pulled at Louis' sleeve to get his attention back on him, making Louis turn around and eye him possessively.

"I should probably go. It was nice meeting you, Louis. My mum is waiting though. Bye!"

He said rushed, blushing, green eyes wide and seeming seriously worried of being alone in such close distance to several alphas.

And all Louis could utter was "You too." before the boy had left the room.

He sighed and cursed his weak self and his species and then quickly peed and left the restroom to walk back to his mum, finding no trace of Harry in the hallways like he had hoped.

Tbc


	2. The audition

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The audition!!!!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yay :) thanks for the kudos, make me feel loved :D ideas and critic always welcomeeeee
> 
> Thanks again Clara, you are the best beta ever :*

"Louis Tomlinson?" 

One of the organisers called out a few minutes after Louis had entered the backstage area. 

Louis, whos heart was still beating too fast after giving an incredible awkward interview and then being directly rushed into the backstage area in a matter of minutes, got pulled out of his thoughts that had been nervously swirling through his brain like watercolour in a waterglass after dipping and wildly stirring the brush in it and stood up straight from where he had been leaning against one of the cold walls with his hands in his pockets.

"Yes, yes. That's me!" he answered quickly while approaching the young blonde haired man in the organiser shirt.

The man nodded, more to himself than to Louis and asked:  
"Great, you are up next. You sing "Hey there Delayla" by the "Plain White T's" is that right?"

He then looked up from his clipboard, headset slight off center, to focus on the boy in front of him instead.

"Yes, that's right." 

Louis answered, cleared his throat and nervously ran his hand through his hair, which was getting a bit too long for his liking (Louis right out despised Justin Bieber and he would absolutely NOT accept them sharing a haircut! And since the popstar didn't seem to even think about changing his style it would have to be him who got the scissors out.) and waited for the other to say something.

The man just nodded again, checked the number on the front of Louis' shirt and then asked him if he had understood how the microphone and the procedure on stage would work, which Louis confirmed with a shaky thumbs up because it had been explained to him not 5 minutes ago. 

The organiser seemed pleased at that, scribbled something down and then pointed to a mark, made of white tape, on the floor a few steps away from where they were standing.

"Good. Go over there and don't move till I tell you to get on stage, yeah?"

Louis nodded and willed his feet to move, feeling slightly nauseous.

The man, who was a beta, which Louis registrated after taking a few deep breathes to calm himself down, went to speak to two other contestants and seemed to tell them just the same he had told Louis before. 

They were also betas and seemed to be just as nervous, what Louis was very glad for because alphas always seemed to make him nervous and territorial, which, so close to his audition, was the absolutely last thing he wanted to be.

He tried to think of something nice and just stood where he had been positioned. Willing himself to focus and calm down next, eyes closed while he went through the lyrics of his song again and tried not to shake too obviously.

He was interrupted by the organiser, who, as promised, came over not much later (but way too soon) to press a microphone into his shaky hands and then opened the big metall door that lead into the studio, the former quiet backstage area now filled with the sounds from the studio.

"Good luck. Just answer their questions and wait for the music to start."

He told Louis through the noise, clapping him on the back and pushing him through the door, while Louis only managed to nod and swallow thickly.

He stumpled forward a few steps and then he suddenly was on stage. The lights were blindingly bright, the audience clapping politely and the three judges eyed him curiously from were they were sitting right in front of him.

Louis Walsh next to the stunning Nicole Scherzinger and the inventor of the show, Simon Cowell, sat on the far right of the table. All looking at him expectating.

His legs felt numb as he walked the final steps into the middle of the big stage and he was slightly worried that he would either drop the microphone or say something really stupid (since his brain-to-mouth filter kinda never worked in important situations.... stupid thing!) so he kept it clutched against his chest and just stood there.

"What's your name?"

Louis Walsh asked him after the welcoming clapping from the audience had died down and Louis still hadn't made a move at speaking, feeling as if he was going to faint. 

"Louis. Louis Tomlinson."

He answered quckily and after that the whole thing seemed to fly by in seconds, the judges not asking more questions and the music starting. And before he could think straight he was right in the singing part, trying to find into the song and hit all the notes the way he had practised them. But he struggled and it was over much faster than expected, the judges stopping him after what only felt like seconds, having heard enough.

Sending them a worried smile and feeling nausea overcome him, he could only wait for their appraisal, praying that he would make it through even though he had sounded horrible. Inwardly he was cursing himself, feeling the strong urge to run away and hide, because almost nothing had worked out the way he had planned it.

He could only explain it with the nerves and the overwhelming new situation that had him shaky to a point where he had only closed his eyes and tried to catch up with the song that had somehow slipped away, always one beat in front of him.

He barely dared to look at the judges now, but in the next minute he heard what he had never expected: a "yes" from each of the three and ensuring clapping from the audience.

He couldn't believe it, waiting for them to drop their smiles and tell him that it was a big joke. But it wasn't a joke, they seemed to be 100% serious and it made him feel like a bomb of happy emotions on the verge of exploding. 

He had messed up big time. So many missed notes and odd sounding sounds had been spilling from his mouth, but nevertheless he had made it through and got a new chance in the next phase of the show.

God, did he feel like kissing them all on the mouth...or maybe only Nicole, not Simon (alpha ewww) or Louis Walsh (old AND alpha double eww). But he kept himself from any snogging and instead stammered "Thank you! Thank you so much!" and ran off stage right into his mums arms, a smile as blinding as the sun grazing his face.

"Mum! I did it! I really made it through!" he yelled, the level of adrenaline and excitement in him still up in the clouds while the applause of the many people in the audience was still hearable and only slowly dying down.

His mum stroked over his hair and beamed at him.

"I know, boo! I'm so proud. I told you so! I always told you so!"

They stumpled around in a happy daze, still enterwined in a tight embraze, until they were interrupted by an organiser who friendly urged them on to make room for the next contestants family and took the microphone from Louis' hands.

They were then handed a pamphlet with the information for the bootcamp and went over to the tables that were set up there to fill out the registration for participating in that next part of the show, Louis already buzzing with excitement for it.

The bootcamp, were the mass of talented singers and groups would be sorted, minimized and categorized, would take place at Wembley arena in London in less than 2 weeks and Louis was already planning ahead and thinking about it.

Would he really stand a chance in comparison to the other talents? It was clear to him that he would have to be much better than today, he couldn't fuck it up again. It would be hard, many acts were going to be send home on that day. And one of them could be him if he messed up again, but he didn't want to be so negative and instead dared to dream about what would happen if he would make it to the judges house or maybe even the live shows.

"Come on, Lou. Let's get home and celebrate!"

His mum interrupted his train of happy thoughts, dropping a kiss on his cheek and walking them out of the building through the masses of people still waiting for their turn.

It took them quite a few minutes to walk to their car, because they had been forced to park a bit away from the conference center, the few parking opportunities there already been occupied by those who had come super early, but it was warm and sunny and Louis felt positively euphoric so it didn't really matter to him.

When they finally reached the small car he climbed inside, leaned back and let a smile spread all over his face. All pressure and fear leaving him like air leaving an air mattress after pulling out the plug.

Jay smiled at him, starting the engine and pulling out of the car park.  
They steered through the jelly-tough afternoon traffic in the streets of Manchester with the volume of the radio turned up and enjoyed their 2 hours drive home with the windows open, only stopping once to get some food and refuel.

And it was then, while he stood in the dingy toilet of the service station, that he remembered Harry and his autograph on his arm.

He looked at himself in the mirror, the sleeve of his cardigan pulled up and the black ink visible, and then lifted his arm to smell the fabric and skin that Harry had touched.  
It still faintly smelled like the omega what pleased Louis and made his wolf growl and purr.

Harry was invited to bootcamp too. But would he be there at the same time as Louis? Would they stumple over eachother again or would they miss eachother and never meet again?

Louis promised himself that he would look out for him.  
If he was there Louis was going to find him.  
And then he would talk to him again and ask for his number, the thought making him smile brightly for the rest of the ride while suckling on his vanilla milkshake, wondering if Harry would prefer strawberry or chocolate.

And if he was extra careful not to let any soap or water touch his arm and wash away the writing, well ... noone had to know that.

Tbc


	3. The bootcamp part 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Louis leaves home and bootcamp starts.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know that X-factor maybe works a bit different from how I tell it, but I didn't found much information abot it, so I'll just write it the way it sounds logical to me.  
> I also am aware of how Larry have met in the bootcamp bathroom in real life (not at the auditions), but it fits my story better that way :)  
> Just go with it please, many things are a bit crooked ;)
> 
> Again thank you so much Clara!
> 
> And thanks to everyone who reads this and gives me kudos and comments. :)

The drive from Doncaster, the home of the one and only Tomlinson family, to Wembley Arena in London would roughly take 3 hours, and that only if they got through without jam.

Which was the reason why Louis was already awake at 5am, the worst time of the day as he thought, getting dressed and packing the last things into his bag and backpack.

He had gotten to bed earlier than normally, but still he was standing in front of his desk yawning while packing his charger cable and his favourite beanie. He just wasn't an early riser, enjoying long nights and sleeping in. But when the X-Factor was calling then Louis would come, no matter how agonising the blaring alarm clock would sound to his sensitive ears.

What helped Louis to come to his senses was that the sun was already starting to get up, the light banishing the darkness and the slightly damp coldness of the morning. He generally loved the sun in every way it came and that didn't exclude the first gentle rays of honey-like sunshine in the morning, like they were falling on his face through the half-opened blinds right now.

His hair was still slightly damp from the shower he had had after waking up, but he was to lazy to dry it with a towel or hair blower and so he walked downstairs with a towel slung over his shoulders to keep his shirt dry.

The house was still sleeping, everything quiet and his sisters bedroom doors closed, so he tried to not to make the wooden steps of the stairs creak too loudly and avoided stepping on those he knew would then sound as they were tortured by a woodpecker.

He entered the kitchen and spotted his mum sitting there in her pink dressing gown.

"Morning!" She said in a hushed voice, as if to the keep the peace and quiet of the still young day from being destroyed too early, a cup of steaming tea in her hands.   
She had only just gotten up too, the bag still in the cup, her eyes bleary and hair messy.

Louis waved and smiled tiredly at her, this early in the morning too lazy to move his tongue, and went to make himself a cuppa too. He needed his first cup of tea in the morning like the air to breathe, always taking long to wake up and be his usual talkactive and sassy self.

He dropped the tea bag into the boiling water and sat down at the kitchen table too, both of them remaining quiet for long minutes. His mum was skimming through the local newspaper that was "still warm" as she liked to say, having picked it up before it could touch the floor after being thrown in through the drop in their door.  
Louis just sipped at his tea and stared out of the window at the messy garden of their little house, watching the sun slowly rise further and further up the blue-grey sky.

The first sun rays were illuminating the scenery: the swing and the trampoline standing there peacefully, resting for a long new day of torture and the damp grass strewn with a set of identical pink bikes, some dolls and other toys the four blonde girls had left there. It was a mess, but to Louis it was home and he loved his sisters and their chaos more than anything.

"Nervous?" his mum asked him, pulling him out of the nostalgic thoughts about his childhood.  
"A bit."  
he admitted, stirring the tea with his spoon and watching the waves of brownish liquid swapping against the rim. 

It was then that he began realizing that the big day was actually here. The bootcamp phase would start today! He would spend 5 days with a bunch of complete strangers and get to sing every day. The nerves were zingling up and down his spine and his heartbeat quicking in anticipation.

"Are you done packing?" he was asked next.  
"Mmhm"  
"Good, I'll make us a small breakfast and then some snacks for the drive."  
She said and got up to start working.  
"What do you want? Eggs and some toast?"  
Louis nodded and got up from his chair, planning to go upstairs and move his luggage downstairs and in the car.  
"Sounds perfect, mum. Thanks."  
She grabbed the carton of eggs out of the fridge and turned around with it in her hands, just in time to kiss him on the cheek while he passed her.  
"Love you, boo."  
She quietly called after him.  
"Too, mum!"  
Louis answered, already on the stairs, and blew her an invisible kiss which she catched and pretended to put in her pocket with a smile splitting her face.

Upstairs he tiptoed through the hall that connected all of the bedrooms and slipped back into his room, closing the door and humming to himself quietly while collecting all the stuff he wanted to take to London. He dropped it all in a big pile in front of his door and went into the bathroom to dry and style his hair.

When he opened the door again he heard the highpitched and excited voice of one of the twins.

Moving downstairs he heard her laugh and giggle. The little girl, Phoebe as he registrated while passing the kitchen, was wide awake and sitting on the counter in her pyjamas, telling their mum what she had dreamed about while Jay was cooking breakfast, a delicious smell already filling the room.  
"... and then the kitten threw the wool across the room and saved the princess, can you believe that?"  
The six year-old said excited.  
"Can we get a cat? Please mum! Just a small one!"  
She slipped from the counter and jumped up and down in front of her mum, making puppy eyes at her.

Louis smiled fondly at his little sister, who hadn't seen him yet, winked at his mum and then left the house through the front door after having grabbed the keys from the commode. 

Juggling his luggage he stepped outside, breathed in the fresh air and greeted his neighbour, a tall and athletic man who was just coming back from his morning jog. Then he walked the few steps over to the car, opened the boot lid while balancing the bags on his knee and finally dumped it all into the boot of the car with a moan of relief.

He rubbed his hands, the heavy bag having left red welts on his palms, closed the boot of the little black car and walked to the house again.

Back inside he grabbed Phoebe from where she was standing, sat down at the table, now also occupied by the eldest of his little sisters, Lottie, and pulled the little giggling girl on his lap.

"Morning, Lots! Awake early today aren't you?"  
He greeted Lottie and then, after the blonde omega had only murmured something indistinct, turned his attention back to the girl in his lap.

"Hey, didn't I hear something about a crazy dream, Pheebs? Something with a princess?"  
The little girls blue eyes lit up like a christmas tree at the mention and she started to tell him the whole story while Louis oohhhed and ahhhhed at the right moments.

They were nearly halfway through the story, the princess already in the hands of a nasty monster, when Jay handed her son his plate with the scrambled eggs. Louis started munching, feeding Phoebe a few bits, while the girl came to the end of the story.

And when Phoebe was finished with telling her dream, now complaining how their mum had denied getting her a cat, and Louis was finished with his breakfast they ended up cuddling on the chair, the little girl in her pyjamas now nursing a cup of cacoa.

Jay smiled at them fondly when she came back downstairs after getting dressed and ready for the day, hating to interrupt them.  
"Lou? We have to go now or we will be late."  
"'Kay, mum." he answered with a sigh and then started to free himself from his little sisters hug.

"C'mon monkey, I have to go."  
"Noooo, Lou! Please stay!" She squealed.  
Louis sighed, got up with her still clinging to his chest and went over to the couch in the living room to drop her there.  
"I'll be back before you can even say 'cat'. Promise!"  
He said with a smile, kissing her on the nose quickly.  
The girl pouted a bit but accepted them leaving.  
"Good luck!"  
She called after them, jumping on the couch.  
"Promise that you'll call every day!"  
"I promise!" he shouted back at her, just before the door closed behind them.

\-----

"Wow! This is so cool!"  
Louis exclaimed, looking around the hotelroom that he would share with some other guy for the next few days with wide eyes.

After his mum had dropped him off in front of the big hotel they had asked him to come to, he had entered the building and asked for the key to his room, many of the other contestants already having lined up.

But Louis had gotten his turn surprisingly quickly, the receptionist having set her eyes on him. She, a beta of the flirty sort, who had, of course, tried to be as charming as possible in front of "beta" Louis, had handed the key to him after checking his ID, crossing his name off the list of constestants and fluttering her eye lashes at him heavily.

But Louis had only thanked her politely, grabbed the key and then left quickly, prefering men to women and omegas to betas. But how should she know that, with him smelling like this and not looking particular alpha-like.

He had even felt a tad bit guilty about brushing her off like that, feeling her confused and huffed stare on his back as he entered the lift. He had sighed deeply the. It was just typical for him to offend someone after only being there for 10 minutes without even intending to.

The room he was facing now, after stepping out of the lift, was big and fancy. Two beds with nighttables standing on each side of the room, also a desk and a commode and a bathroom behind a door straight next to the entrance door. All of it in a modern style, the colours white, red and gold used on the walls and the accessoires of the room.

Louis stepped inside, having stopped in the door to admire his new domicile, and dragged his bag in behind him.

The other guy, an alpha (to Louis dismay, but he couldn't argue that because he was an alpha (if an odd one) too) hadn't arrived yet and so Louis claimed the bed with the big window at the side and the shorter way to the bathroom as his (scent marking the hell out of the, with scent neutralizing products washed, clean and unhomey smelling hotel bed).

His first vocal coaching lesson would only take place in the afternoon, so he decided to take a nap. Rolling around some more in the bed to create a "den" that would be homey to him and closing his eyes.

When he woke up again not much later it was to the clacking of the lock, the handle being pressed down from the outside.

Tbc


End file.
